William Rider, a Carlsbad resident who lives near U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray’s mother, told the North County Times that he testified before a grand jury in August about whether Bilbray lives in the neighborhood. Rider also showed a reporter “what appears to be a subpoena,” the newspaper reported this morning.
Rider, who is listed as a supporter and decorated Marine Corps veteran on the Busby campaign’s website, has called a press conference for later today.
In May, the local Democratic Party filed a complaint with the District Attorney’s Office alleging that Bilbray may have committed perjury or voter fraud when he claimed Carlsbad as his residence in his official candidacy papers. Bilbray, who also owns houses in Imperial Beach and Virginia, has claimed those homes as his residences in other official documents unrelated to his candidacy.
In a story about Bilbray’s residency status that aired on Channel 10 News in May, Rider said that “if he does live here, he must leave late at night and come back early in the morning.”
Bilbray and his campaign have repeatedly disavowed having any knowledge of a grand jury investigation.
The District Attorney’s Office has declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
Earlier this month, 50th District congressional candidate Francine Busby called on Bilbray to disclose whether he’s currently the target of a grand jury investigation. But the Busby campaign couldn’t offer any solid proof that the investigation actually exists.
Busby’s campaign manager, Ray Drew said he became convinced that the District Attorney’s Office was investigating Bilbray after he started receiving anonymous telephone calls about the grand jury inquiry last month. Drew said he has since had conversations with six different unidentified callers.